Fairies, Herbs and Young Guests - Janeway Chronicles 2
by nupharlutea78
Summary: Life is never calm in the Janeway Castle, with capricious fairies, magic herbs, and well meaning but awkward young guests like Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra...


Janeway Chronicles

Fairies, Herbs and Young Guests

Lord Chakotay rode through the Broceliande Forest on his large white horse. The forest around was dense and lush. Among the trees was a clear fast stream going downhill. Chakotay followed it lesiurely, he was on his morning ride. Suddenly trees gave way, and he saw a small clear lake into which the stream and other streams flowed. He admired the lake. Suddenly a slender pale woman with long black hair and in a green dress appeared before him. She looked at him attentively and then said with regret:

'You are a faithful lover, so I can't imprison you, but go away.'

'Morgan le Fay?' Chakotay asked in awe.

'Yes,' she said. 'You love your fiancee Queen Kathryn faithfully, Lord Chakotay, so be glad and leave quickly.'

Chakotay didn't have to be told twice, he instantly spurred his horse on and rode away fast.

When Chakotay returned home to the royal castle, he saw that someone was waiting for him, a tall slender young man with a smile on his face, in a short wide yellow gown with red flowers, red hose and a red beret.

'Yes?' Chakotay asked.

'Oh, I just arrived here,' the young man said smiling. 'I'm Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra. The guards told me that you're Lord High Steward here and that you'll tell me where to stay, Lord Chakotay, right?'

'Yes, Lord Bertram,' Chakotay said smiling. 'Let's see, you may stay in the Red Room, it's looking on the garden.'

'Great,' Lord Bertram said. 'Well, I'll go now, Lord Chakotay, gramercy.'

Chakotay nodded smiling. Lord Bertram left.

Chakotay went to the royal chamber. Queen Kathryn was waiting for him smiling.

'You were long, Chakotay,' she said. 'I hope you didn't get into Valley of No Return?'

'As a matter of fact I did,' Chakotay said smiling. 'But Morgan le Fay saw that I was a faithful lover and let me off.'

'Oh!' Kathryn said.

'But it wasn't she who detained me,' Chakotay continued smiling. 'We have a guest, young Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra, he'll join us at the dinner today. He's a pleasant, amiable young man.'

Kathryn nodded.

Kes was walking along a corridor when she heard someone playing Greensleeves lovely on a lute. She looked into the Red Room and saw a tall slender young man in red and yellow sitting on a bench in a window niche with red curtains and playing Greensleeves lovely on a lute and smiling.

'Hello,' Kes said. 'I thought the Red Room was empty.'

'Well, it isn't anymore,' the young man said smiling. 'I just arrived here today, I'm Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra.'

'I'm Kes, the court doctor's apprentice,' Kes said smiling. 'You play Greensleeves very well, Lord Bertram'

'Oh, just call me Bertie,' he said smiling. 'And thank you.'

'All right, Bertie,' Kes said. 'And you call me Kes.'

Bertie nodded smiling.

'Are you staying here for long, Bertie?' Kes asked.

'Oh, I don't know,' Bertie said. 'It depends, see?'

Kes nodded.

'What do you like, Bertie?' Kes asked.

'Oh, riding and playing lute, singing, hunting, games and romances, all that,' Bertie answered smiling.

Kes nodded smiling.

'Well, I'll go now, Bertie, see you at dinner,' she said.

'See you,' Bertie said nodding and smiling.

Kes left, and Bertie started to play Greensleeves again.

At this moment Jeeves, his man, came in holding a golden chain. Bertie frowned.

'What is it, Jeeves?' he asked.

'My lord, I think you took another gentleman's adornment by mistake,' Jeeves said.

'No, it's mine, Jeeves, I bought it one of these days,' Bertie said.

'Do you intend to wear it in public, my lord?' Jeeves asked.

'Of course, Jeeves,' Bertie said frowning.

'Very good, my lord,' Jeeves said coldly.

'Jeeves, you don't like this chain?' Bertie said frowning.

'No, my lord,' Jeeves said.

Bertie nodded and returned to playing Greensleeves.

At the dinner in the great white throne room with white pillars and vaults, at the long table with white tablecloth with golden and silver jugs with red and white wine and lemonade, dishes with roast meat, vases with fruit, baskets with pastries and sweets and bread, plates, goblets, forks and knives, there was everyone. At the head of the table sat Queen Kathryn, a tall, slender woman with her blonde hair in a knot like a crown and in a crimson doublet and trousers. Lord Chakotay sat by her right side, a tall, strong man with round face, short dark hair and dark eyes, with a black tattoo like a wave above his left eye, in crimson gown, hose and beret. Lord Tuvok sat by her left side, her Lord Marshal, a tall, slender dark skinned man with short curly dark hair and dark eyes and pointed ears, in golden gown, hose and beret. Other courtiers sat lower, Kes, short and slender girl with short blonde hair and in a blue dress, was among them, and Bertie in his red and yellow and with a golden chain around his neck, sat beside her.

'Hello Bertie,' Kes said smiling.

'Hello Kes,' Bertie said smiling back.

'Bertie, these are my friends, Lieutenant Tom Paris and Cornet Harry Kim from the Royal Guard and Lady B'Elanna of Torres, the Queen's bodyguard,' Kes said. 'Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, this is Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra, or Bertie.'

'Hello,' Bertie said smiling.

'Hello,' Tom, Harry and B'Elanna said.

'And this is Lieutenant Rayen of the Royal Guard,' Kes said.

Bertie looked at the tall, strong man in a red wide shirt and leather trousers, with his hair in sticking out braids with red ribbons.

'He's a Keizon, right?' Bertie said.

'Yes, he was a guard of the Keizon Ambassador, but he didn't like it there and he stayed here with us,' Kes explained.

'Oh,' Bertie said. 'Hello Lieutenant Rayen.'

'Hello Lord Bertram,' Rayen said politely.

Bertie looked how Queen Kathryn and Lord Chakotay looked at each other and smiled to each other.

'Your Queen and your Lord Chakotay seem awfully close, what?' Bertie said.

'He's her fiance,' Kes explained.

'Oh,' Bertie said. 'Well, congratulations and all that. They're a nice couple.'

'Yes,' Kes said smiling.

At this point a tall, slender young minstrel with long curly blonde hair and with a lute came forward and started to play a tender air.

'And this is Alan ar C'halvez, our court minstrel,' Kes explained.

Bertie nodded.

'He plays jolly well, what?' he said.

Kes nodded smiling.

Bertie took some madeleines from a basket and tasted them.

'Your cook is very good, what?' he said.

'Yes, he is,' Kes said smiling.

After the dinner Kes, Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, Alan and Rayen gathered together. Bertie joined them.

'Bertie, we're going to play games in the palace garden,' Kes said. 'Come with us.'

'All right,' Bertie said smiling.

They went to the palace garden and sat on a marble bench under lilac bushes. They started to play riddles. Bertie always lost but took his defeat smiling. But he noticed that Alan and Tom were out of sorts.

'Alan, Tom, go out with me for a bit,' he said.6

Alan and Tom nodded and walked aside with him.

'Alan, Tom, you're a bit off,' he said. 'What's the matter?'

'Oh, I like Lady Laura Delaney and don't know how to tell her, me, a minstrel!' Alan sighed.

'And I like Lady B'Elanna, but she's so formidable, a warrior, and part dragon, you saw those crests on her forehead,' Tom confessed sadly.

'Tom, Alan, I say, just refuse food at dinner,' Bertie said. 'They'll notice it.'

'Refuse Neelix's coq au vin, madeleines, calissons, darioles and so on?' Tom said.

'Yes,' Bertie said firmly. 'Your Lady B'Elanna will notice.'

'And for me it's not so hard, though Neelix's cooking is wonderful,' Alan said melancholically.

'Very good,' Bertie said. 'Do it'

Tom and Alan nodded.

'Alan, who is your Lady Laura?' Bertie asked.

'She's a daughter of the Chamberlain,' Alan explained. 'She has a twin sister, Pauline, and both are beauties, tall, slender, with long blonde hair and enormous blue eyes, but my Laura is much more beautiful than her sister.'

'She seems jolly pretty,' Bertie said.

'Yes,' Alan sighed.

'Well, let's return to the company, what?' Bertie said smiling.

Tom and Alan nodded, and they returned to the bench under the lilacs.

Neelix, the Chief Cook, a short stout man with scales on his hands and face and with a tuft of blonde hair on the top of his head, descending to the back of his head, in motley apron and cook's hat, wasn't with Kes and company though he was their friend and loved Kes. He was walking in the gardens seeking new herbs for his cooking. He saw a small delicate white orchid and leaned to smell its aroma. In that same moment Tuvok walked to the orchid and leaned to smell it.

Suddenly a bright white light spread from the orchid to Neelix and Tuvok and engulfed them. When it disappeared, in the place of two men was one, short and slender with scales on his hands and face and a dark tuft of hair, in motley gown, hose and beret.

He blinked, then looked at his hands and dress, then walked to the palace quickly.

When Queen Kathryn saw him, her jaw dropped.

'What happened?' she asked then.

'Well, we both, Neelix and Lord Tuvok, were walking in the garden and saw a small white orchid andleaned to smell it, and then this happened and I appeared,' the man said.

'And what shall we do?' Kathryn asked. 'Lord Tuvok is the Lord Marshal, and Master Neelix is the Chief Cook, their duties are quite different.'

The man frowned.

'Lord Marshal is more important than Chief Cook, but I'll try to combine these two roles,' he said firmly.

'All right,' Kathryn sighed. 'But I'll ask Maitre Robert to do something about all this.'

The man nodded.

'Oh, and how shall I call you?' Kathryn asked.

'Lord Tuvix,' he answered firmly.

Kathryn nodded.

Kathryn and Tuvix went to Maitre Robert. Kathryn knocked on the door.

'Yes?' Maitre Robert asked grumpily.

'Maitre Robert, please open, it's important,' Kathryn said urgently.

Maitre Robert opened the door quickly, looked at Tuvix and frowned.

'What happened?' he asked.

'Master Neelix and Lord Tuvok leaned to smell a small white orchid in the palace garden, and then they turned into Lord Tuvix here,' Kathryn explained.

'There was a bright white light when that happened,' Tuvix added.

Maitre Robert nodded.

'Show me that orchid,' he said.

'Gladly, Maitre Robert,' Tuvix said.

Maitre Robert nodded.

'Please go,' Kathryn said firmly.

'Yes, Your Majesty,' Tuvix said. Maitre Robert nodded. They left, and Kathryn went to her chamber.

The next morning Queen Kathryn was speaking with Chakotay and Tuvix.

'Lord Tuvix, how are you feeling?' Kathryn asked anxiously.

'Quite well, thank you, Your Majesty,' Tuvix said.

Kathryn nodded.

At this moment there was a shimmer, and appeared a transparent form of a short thin man with dark eyes and dark receding hair, in a blue robe.

'Oh, Maitre Robert, good morning,' Kathryn said.

'Good morning, Your Majesty,' Maitre Robert said.

'What's the news, Maitre Robert?' Kathryn asked.

'I'm studying the orchid, Your Majesty, but I haven't succeeded yet,' Maitre Robert said.

Kathryn nodded.

'Thank you for your efforts, Maitre Robert,' she said.

Maitre Robert nodded and disappeared.

Later that morning Bertie, after waking up and dressing went to seek Tom Paris. After much asking and wandering about in the great castle, Bertie found Tom's room at least.

'Hello, Tom, old man,' Bertie said smiling.

'Hello Bertie,' Tom answered smiling.

'Tom, you say that you feel that your Lady B'Elanna is too formidable, right?' Bertie said.

'Yes,' Tom sighed.

'What do you say if I go for a walk with her and tell her about bleeding hearts and so on, and then you come and confess to her?' Bertie said smiling.

'You would do that for me, Bertie?' Tom asked. 'Oh, I 'll be very grateful to you!'

'It's nothing, old man, what else friends are for?' Bertie asked smiling.

Tom nodded, and Bertie left.

After much asking and wandering about the royal castle Bertie found B'Elanna at last.

'Good morning, Lady B'Elanna,' he said nervously.

'Good morning, Lord Bertram,' B'Elanna said cheerfully.

'Lady B'Elanna, could you go for a walk with me?' Bertie asked.

'Of course, Lord Bertram,' B'Elanna said smiling.

They went to the palace garden, Bertie nervous and B'Elanna cheerful. They came to a marble bench under lilacs, and then Bertie took a deep breath and began.

'Lady B'Elanna, have you thought that there is a heart in this house that is bleeding but is too shy to tell about its love for you?' Bertie said. 'It's suffering from love.'

'Oh, Lord Bertram, I knew what you were going to say,' B'Elanna said smiling. 'You invited me for a walk in the garden and were so nervous and now you confess your love for me.'

Bertie's heart almost stopped. He was a confirmed bachelor and didn't want to marry at all, and he thought that B'Elanna was too formidable.

'But Lord Bertram, no, Bertie, alas, I love another man,' B'Elanna said regretful.

Bertie sighed with relief.

'Oh, so you love someone else, what?' Bertie said.

'Yes, Bertie, please don't take it too hard,' B'Elanna said.

'Oh, it's nothing, I'm quite all right,' Bertie said, glad about his hairbreadth escape. 'Who is the lucky fellow?'

'Lieutenant Tom Paris,' B'Elanna said. 'He's strong and brave, he fought in many duels.'

'Oh,' Bertie said. 'Well, good luck to you and be happy with him.'

'Oh, Bertie, you're a real gentleman,' B'Elanna said smiling.

'I'm a Wooster,' Bertie said smiling. 'Noblesse oblige, what?'

'Yes,' B'Elanna smiled. 'Well, see you, Bertie.'

'See you,' Bertie said smiling and walked away hastily. B'Elanna watched him leave and smiled.

Bertie returned to Tom.

'I say, Tom, old man, your castle is like a bloody labyrinth,' he said. 'Damn difficult to find your way here'

'Never mind that, Bertie, how did it go?' Tom asked impatiently.

'Oh, great,' Bertie said. 'She said that she loved you, old man, and that you were strong and brave,' Bertie said smiling. He didn't tell Tom, of course, that B'Elanna thought that he, Bertie, was confessing to her.

'Great!' Tom said. 'Thank you, Bertie!'

'You're welcome, Tom old man,' Bertie said smiling.

That morning Lord Chakotay was on a morning ride again. He rode aimlessly through the dende lush green wood and suddenly he rode into a green glade around a clear blue lake. There was a woman sitting by the lake shore and combing her hair with a golden comb, she was tall and slender, with long curly blonde hair and in a green dress. She turned and looked at him.

'You trespassed on my land,' she said. 'I'll marry you immediately or you'll die in three days.'

'Are you a Korrigan fairy?' Chakotay said. 'I've heard about you. I'm betrothed and so I can't be your husband, and I'm not going to die anytime soon, and my fiancee, Queen Kathryn, is much more beautiful than you.'

Chakotay spurred on his white horse and rode away.

When Chakotay arrived home, he went to Maitre Robert and knocked on the door.

'Yes?' Maitre Robert said grumpily.

'Maitre Robert, please open, it's very important,' Chakotay said urgently.

Maitre Robert opened the door quickly.

'What happened?' he said.

'Maitre Robert, I met a Korrigan fairy in the Broceliande forest,' Chakotay said. 'She said I'll die in three days if I don't marry her.'

'Oh dear,' Maitre Robert said.

'Please do something about it, and please don't tell anything to my fiancee,' Chakotay asked.

'I won't,' Maitre Robert said. 'First Lord Tuvok and Neelix, then you. What a life!'

Chakotay smiled wryly and left.

At the dinner Queen Kathryn sat at the head of the table again, Chakotay was sitting on her right and Tuvix on her left, and everyone else sat lower. Tom, Harry, Kes, B'Elanna, Rayen and Bertie were sitting together again.

Bertie looked at Tuvix.

'Zounds, what happened to your Lord Marshal?' he said.

Kes looked at him sadly.

'Lord Tuvok and our Chief Cook Neelix, my lover, leaned to smell a small white orchid in the garden together, and then they turned into this,' she said. 'He calls himself Lord Tuvix, tries to be Lord Marshal and Chief Cook at the same time, and he said to me that we shouldn't continue our relationship while he's under a spell.'

'Zounds,' Bertie said. 'Kessie, old girl, don't worry, I'm sure it will be all right.'

'Thank you, Bertie,' Kes smiled sadly. 'My teacher, Maitre Robert, is very talented, I'm sure he'll think of something.'

'See?' Bertie smiled. 'And why I didn't see your teacher at the dinner? Too busy, what?'

'Yes, that, and he's a ghost,' Kes said smiling.

'A what?' Bertie asked.

'A ghost, a spectre, a spirit,' Kes said. 'He didn't want to leave his patients, so he stayed here. He learned how to handle material objects so he could conduct physicals, operate, make stitches and so on.'

Bertie shook his head.

'Some company you have here,' he said.

'Yes,' Kes smiled. 'My Neelix is part dragon, see these scales and tuft of hair? Neelix is like that, more stout than this Tuvix.'

'Oh,' Bertie said.

Alan and Tom meanwhile didn't touch food, and Alan looked plaintively at Laura Delaney. Tom watched Alan and started to look at B'Elanna plaintively. Bertie nodded looking at them, but he himself enjoyed Neelix's coq au vin.

After the dinner Tuvix stopped Kathryn in a corridor.

'Your Majesty, Master Alan and Lieutenant Paris didn't touch food,' he said to Kathryn. 'Have I done something wrong?'

'No, Lord Tuvix, of course not,' Kathryn reassured him. 'Your cooking was magnificent. Perhaps there is something wrong with Master Alan and Lieutenant Paris. Perhaps they're out of sorts, perhaps they're ill, perhaps they're in love.'

'Yes, I think they're in love, they looked at Lady Laura Delaney and Lady B'Elanna so sadly,' Tuvix recalled. 'Thank you, Your Majesty.'

'You're welcome, Lord Tuvix,' Kathryn said smiling.

Alan wasn't on the marble bench under lilacs that evening, and neither was Neelix. Only Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, Kes, Rayen and Bertie were there.

Tom took a deep breath and knelt before B'Elanna.

'B'Elanna, I love you, you're so strong and brave,' he said firmly. 'Please be mine.'

'Of course, Tom,' B'Elanna said smiling.

Tom rose and kissed her. Bertie looked at them smiling. B'Elanna looked at Bertie and smiled sadly. Bertie smiled back at her.

'Well, let's play something, what?' Bertie said.

'All right,' B'Elanna said.

They started to play incongruous words. Some time later Alan came, holding hands with Laura Delaney.

'Oh, Alan, old man,' Bertie said smiling.

'Bertie, meet my fiancee Laura Delaney,' Alan said smiling. 'Laura, this is Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra.'

'Oh, congratulations and all that,' Bertie said smiling.

'Thank you, Lord Bertram,' Laura said smiling.

Bertie smiled.

Next morning Kathryn and Chakotay were having breakfast together, charlotte pie and milk, when there was a shimmer, and Maitre Robert appeared.

'Well, Maitre Robert?' Kathryn asked.

'Alas, Your Majesty, I haven't found a remedy yet, but I'm doing my best,' Maitre Robert said.

'I see, thank you, Maitre Robert,' Kathryn sighed.

Chakotay looked at Maitre Robert, but Maitre Robert shook his head sadly. Chakotay nodded.

Later that morning Tom was going to B'Elanna, when a purple cloud descended on him, and Tom's look changed, became angry. Tom came to B'Elanna's room. B'Elanna smiled seeing him and ran to him, but Tom looked at her with hate and said:

'You're a termagant, an imperious, overconfident woman, and I hate you.'

'What!?' B'Elanna said. 'Well, our betrothal is broken. I'll marry Bertie Wooster, he confessed to me, and he is courteous, he would never say something like that!'

'What!?' Tom said and ran away.

Bertie was sitting in the window niche in his room and playing Greensleeves on his lute when B'Elanna came in, eyes blazing.

'Bertie,' she said. 'Tom insulted me, and I broke our betrothal. I'll marry you, Bertie.'

Bertie's jaw dropped, and B'Elanna left. Bertie dropped his lute, distraught.

He was still sitting like this when Tom came in.

'Wooster!' Tom said, his eyes blazing. 'You took my B'Elanna from me! I demand satisfaction, today, at six o'clock, in the palace garden.'

Tom ran away, and Bertie watched him leave wide eyed.

Some time later Jeeves appeared silently in Bertie's room. Bertie looked at him sadly.

'Oh, Jeeves, what shall I do?' he complained. 'Lady B'Elanna broke her betrothal to Tom Paris and wants to marry me, and Tom challenged me to a duel because he thinks that I took B'Elanna from him, duel at six o'clock today, and I can't fence at all.'

'Most unfortunate, my lord,' Jeeves said.

'Yes, Jeeves, it is,' Bertie sighed. 'Perhaps it's for the better that Tom shall slay me, because I can't say to B'Elanna that I don't want to marry her, I'm a gentleman, zounds!'

'Oh, don't despair, my lord,' Jeeves said. 'I'll think of something.'

'Please do it, Jeeves, or Bertram shall face death or fate worse than death, marriage,' Bertie said sadly.

Jeeves thought for some time and said:

'My lord, tell Lady B'Elanna that Lieutenant Paris was probably bewitched when he insulted her.'

'You think it'll work, Jeeves?' Bertie said dubiously.

'I think it will, my lord, for it likely is really so, and even if it isn't, Lieutenant Paris will say that it is to return Lady B'Elanna, for I think in any case that it was a temporary delusion,' Jeeves said.

'You're right, Jeeves, thank you,' Bertie said smiling.

Bertie went to B'Elanna's room. She looked at him sadly when he entered.

'Yes, Bertie, what is it?' she asked.

'I say, B'Elanna old girl, Tom was probably bewitched when he said whatever he said,' Bertie said. 'It happens, what?'

'Bertie, you're so noble, you're trying to defend him,' B'Elanna said smiling sadly. 'I'll ask him. But if he wasn't, I'll marry you.'

'I'll be honoured, B'Elanna,' Bertie said.

B'Elanna nodded, and Bertie returned to his room.

B'Elanna ran to Tom's room. The cloud left Tom by that time, and he looked at B'Elanna sadly.

'B'Elanna?' he asked quietly.

'Tom, Bertie said that you probably were under a spell when you insulted me and you didn't mean that,' B'Elanna blurted out.

'But I really was, B'Elanna!' Tom said. 'A purple cloud descended on me and made me do it.'

'Oh, Tom!' B'Elanna said and kissed him.

When they broke off for breath, Tom said:

'B'Elanna, I challenged Bertie to a duel when I was bewitched.'

'And he defended you,' B'Elanna said. 'What a man!'

'I'll make my excuses to him,' Tom said smiling.

'And I'll tell him that he's free,' B'Elanna said smiling sadly.

'Let's invite him to our wedding,' Tom said.

B'Elanna nodded.

Bertie was playing Greensleeves melancholically when Tom and B'Elanna entered into his room holding hands. Bertie smiled broadly seeing them.

'Bertie, I'm sorry, I was wrong,' Tom said. 'I take my challenge back.'

'And I'm betrothed with Tom again,' B'Elanna said smiling sadly. 'I'm sorry, Bertie.'

'Oh, it's nothing,' Bertie said smiling broadly. 'Congratulations, what?'

Tom and B'Elanna smiled to him.

'Come to our wedding, Bertie,' B'Elanna said.

'Absolutely, B'Elanna old thing,' Bertie said smiling broadly.

Some time later, when Chakotay was sitting in his room, there was a shimmer and Maitre Robert appeared.

'Yes?' Chakotay asked.

'I found a remedy,' Maitre Robert said. 'You have to marry someone else to break the curse.'

'But Lord Reunan from the ballad was married, and yet he died,' Chakotay said dubiously.

'That's the thing, he was already married, and you have to marry someone else in those three days to override the curse,' Maitre Robert explained.

Chakotay nodded.

'Thank you, Maitre Robert,' he said.

'Now if you didn't have anyone that would be hard, but you have a fiancee, and you are already several months betrothed,' Maitre Robert said.

'You're right, Maitre Robert, I'll speak to Kathryn immediately,' Chakotay said smiling.

Maitre Robert nodded and disappeared.

Chakotay went to the royal chamber at once. Kathryn smiled when she saw him.

'What is it, Chakotay?' she asked smiling.

'Kathryn, I wish to marry you immediately, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,' he said urgently. 'We're already several months betrothed, and I can't wait anymore.'

'All right, Chakotay, if you wish,' Kathryn said smiling. 'My dress is already made, oh, it's beautiful, you'll like it.'

'I have no doubt,' Chakotay said smiling and kissed her.

'Tomorrow, then,' Kathryn said. 'I'll announce about it at the dinner today.'

Chakotay nodded.

At the dinner there was everyone again, Queen Kathryn, Chakotay, Tuvix, all the courtiers including Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, Kes, Rayen and Laura, and Bertie.

Kathryn rose suddenly and announced:

'Ladies and gentlemen, my wedding with Lord Chakotay shall take place tomorrow morning in the palace chapel. I invite everyone to our wedding, ladies and gentlemen.'

Kathryn sat down and took Chakotay's hand in hers. Chakotay smiled.

'Very sudden, what?' Bertie said.

'Yes, sometimes I don't understand you people,' Rayen said.

'Love is a strange thing, Rayen old man,' Bertie said smiling. 'I, for example, once was betrothed to an imperious female writer, to an imperious daughter of a famous doctor, to a volatile daughter of a writer, to a volatile daughter of a rich merchant and to a dreamy daughter of a judge. They all broke our betrothal, luckily, or I don't know what would happen.'

'Yes, love is mysterious, Bertie,' Tom said smiling.

'Yes,' Bertie said smiling. 'Well, I'll come to their wedding, of course.'

'I've never been at a wedding in Janeway,' Rayen said. 'What's it like?'

'Oh, I think everyone shall gather in the palace chapel, Queen Kathryn will be dressed in a beautiful dress, someone, I think Lord Tuvok, shall lead her forward and hand her to Lord Chakotay, then she and Lord Chakotay shall exchange vows and rings, then he'll kiss her, and then everyone will leave the chapel and there will be dancing and feast late in the night,' Kes explained. 'And they both will be beautiful and everyone will be very merry.'

Rayen nodded.

'It sounds lovely,' he said.

'It is,' Kes said smiling.

Kathryn, Chakotay and Tuvix were playing Chinese checkers when there was a shimmer and Maitre Robert appeared, holding a vial with purple liquid in one hand and holding Kes' hand with another.

'Maitre Robert, is it...?' Kathryn asked eagerly.

'Yes,' Maitre Robert said nodding. He let go of Kes' hand and gave the vial to Tuvix.

Tuvix rose and drank it at once. There was a flash of bright light, and Tuvok and Neelix were standing in his place.

'Kes!' Neelix said, rushed to Kes, embraced and kissed her. Kes smiled happily.

'Good evening, Your Majesty,' Tuvok said evenly and sat down.

'Good evening, Lord Tuvok,' Kathryn said smiling.

Maitre Robert nodded and disappeared. Neelix and Kes left, holding hands.

'Lord Tuvok, do you remember my announcement?' Kathryn said. 'My wedding is tomorrow.'

'I remember it quite well, Your Majesty,' Tuvok said.

'Well, do you remember that you are to give me away to Lord Chakotay tomorrow?' Kathryn asked smiling.

'Of course, Your Majesty,' Tuvok said evenly.

'Very well,' Kathryn said smiling.

'It's quite fortunate that I'm back to normal, because Master Neelix has a lover, Maid Kes, and I have a wife, T'Pel, and four children,' Tuvok said.

'Yes, Lord Tuvok,' Kathryn said smiling.

Neelix and Kes went to the palace garden, to the marble bench under lilacs where Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, Rayen, Laura and Bertie were sitting.

'Neelix!' Tom said. 'You're back to normal, so Maitre Robert found a remedy?'

'Yes,' Neelix said smiling broadly.

Neelix and Kes sat down.

Bertie looked at Neelix.

'So, you're the cook, what?' he said smiling. 'Your coq au vin, madeleines, darioles, calissons, teurgoule, clafouti and everything are great!'

'Thank you,' Neelix said smiling. 'I saw yesterday that you, Tom and Alan, didn't touch food, were you in love?'

'Yes,' Tom said. 'But now we're betrothed, Alan to Laura Delaney and me to B'Elanna.'

'Oh, congratulations,' Neelix said.

'Thank you, Neelix,' Tom and Alan said.

'Love is a strange thing,' Rayen said.

'Yes,' Bertie said smiling. 'You know, the female writer had a lover who was a strong bad tempered guard, the judge's daughter had a strong and bad tempered suitor, and her father wasn't a lamb either, and the merchant's daughter had a strong bad tempered father.'

'Oh, Bertie, and I challenged you to a duel, I'm sorry,' Tom said.

'It's nothing, Tom old man,' Bertie said smiling.

When Bertie returned to his room that night, he said, 'Jeeves?'

'Yes, my lord?' Jeeves said, quietly appearing by his side.

'Give my golden chain away,' Bertie said.

'I've already donated it to a temple, my lord,' Jeeves said.

'Oh, all right,' Bertie said.

'Good night, my lord,' Jeeves said.

'Good night, Jeeves,' Bertie said smiling.

The royal chapel was red and white and tall, with vaults, pillars and arcades. Everyone sat on carved wooden benches filling the hall, Tom in a short blue gown embroidered with golden flowers and blue hose, Harry in a short green gown embroidered with golden flowers and green hose, Alan in a red sleeveless doublet and golden hose both decorated with silver bands, Neelix in a doublet with red right side and green left side and hose with green right leg and red left leg, in a red round hat with a tail falling on his shoulders, Rayen in a wide red shirt and leather trousers with golden embroidery and with red ribbons with golden embroidery in his braids, Maitre Robert in a blue robe with brown fur and a blue sugar loaf hat, B'Elanna in a long tight green dress and with golden hairnet, Kes in a long light blue dress with low cut, wide sleeves and full skirt and with a garland of red daisies on her head, Laura in a long ermine sleeveless surcoat over a long tight lilac dress and with golden hairnet and Bertie in a short red gown embroidered with golden flowers and yellow hose. Tom was sitting with B'Elanna, Alan with Laura and Neelix with Kes. A young blonde priest in a long green robe with golden embroidery was waiting by a marble altar at the end of the hall.

'So, this is your teacher, Maitre Robert, what?' Bertie asked Kes. 'The one who got Lord Tuvok and Neelix back to normal?'

'Yes,' Kes said smiling. 'Maitre Robert of Sorello, Lord Bertram Wooster from Londra.'

'Hello,' Bertie said smiling. 'You're really talented, what?'

'Thank you,' Maitre Robert grumbled.

'A bit grouchy, what?' Bertie smiled. Maitre Robert said nothing.

At this point everyone fell silent. In the doorway appeared Tuvok in a long crimson robe with scallops on the sleeves, a slit to the thighs and a high standing collar with brown fur and in a crimson sugar loaf hat. He was leading Queen Kathryn, in a purple blue dress with low cut with white fur and gold, high waist, long tight sleeves and full skirt with golden hem embroidered with red flowers with rubies and with a green lower skirt showing below it, and in a conical hat with white veil falling on her face. Near them was Chakotay, in a crimson sleeveless doublet embroidered with flowers and with a golden belt, with wide green shirt sleeves with scallops bursting out at the shoulders and in yellow hose with striped right leg, with a golden band with a peacock feather on his head. They marched solemnly to the altar and stood before the priest.

'Who gives this woman away?' the priest asked.

'I,' Tuvok said, letting go of Kathryn's hand and stepping down. Kathryn and Chakotay stood together before the priest.

'Do you, Chakotay, take this woman as your lawful wedded wife?' the priest asked.

'I do,' Chakotay said firmly.

'Do you, Kathryn, take this man as your lawful wedded husband?'

'I do,' Kathryn said firmly.

'Now your vows,' the priest said.

'I, Chakotay, take you, Kathryn, to be my wife, to have and to hold for better for worse, for poorer for richer, in sickness and in health, till death us do part,' Chakotay said firmly.

'I, Kathryn, take you, Chakotay, to be my husband, to have and to hold for better for worse, for poorer for richer, in sickness and in health, till death us do part,' Kathryn said firmly.

'Rings,' the priest said.

A page in a white sleeveless doublet and white hose came forward, carrying on a crimson velvet cushion golden rings. Chakotay took one and put it tenderly on Kathryn's left ring finger. Kathryn took another and put it tenderly on Chakotay's left ring finger.

'I now declare you man and wife,' the priest said. 'Now you can kiss your bride.'

Chakotay removed the veil from Kathryn's face and kissed her. Everyone sighed.

Bertie grimaced, he thought that it could be him and B'Elanna.

B'Elanna thought, Poor Bertie, he thought7 that it could be him and me.

At last Queen Kathryn and Prince Chakotay broke off for breath. Everyone shouted in joy, congratulating them. Then they rose and went forward to congratulate them in person.

At the wedding feast everyone was in their fine array, and there were coq au vin, clafouti, teurgoule, madeleines, darioles, calissons, Puits d'Amour and so on. Kathryn and Chakotay looked at each other constantly.

'A happy couple, what?' Bertie smiled.

'Yes,' Kes said smiling.

'A good place you have here, what?' Bertie smiled.

'Yes,' Kes said smiling.

'Bertie, stay with us,' Tom said suddenly. 'You're a good friend and a good fellow.'

'Oh, all right, Tom old man,' Bertie said smiling.

Then the table was removed by servants, and people stood by the walls to clear the space in the middle for dancing. Alan came forward and began to play a tender air.

'Will you dance with me, Kathryn?' Chakotay asked smiling.

'Gladly, Chakotay,' Kathryn answered smiling.

Chakotay offered his hand to Kathryn, she took it, and they went out into the middle of the hall and started to dance slowly and gracefully. Everyone watched them smiling.

When Chakotay and Kathryn stopped, other couples went out into the middle of the hall and started dancing.

'B'Elanna, old girl, will you dance with me a bit?' Bertie asked smiling.

'Of course, Bertie,' B'Elanna said smiling.

Bertie offered his hand to B'Elanna, B'Elanna took it, and they went out in the middle of the hall and started to dance slowly and gracefully. Other couples danced side by side with them, Neelix with Kes,

Rayen with Laura, and so on.

At some point the dancers stopped, and most people went aside, only Tom, Harry, Neelix, Alan and some other young men went forward. Kes turned to Rayen and Bertie, who watched in surprise.

'Bertie, Rayen, you're not married, right?' she asked.

'Of course not!' Bertie said.

'No, I'm not,' Rayen shook his head. 'Why?'

'Just go out with them and you'll see,' Kes promised smiling.

'All right,' Bertie said. Rayen nodded. They went forward with Tom and others.

Kathryn smiled, leaned, raised her skirt a bit, so that blue violet stockings with garters of same colour became visible, untied one garter and threw it in the direction of the young men. They all reached to catch them, Bertie too, though with a grimace. But only Tom caught it.

'Well, Tom, you'll get married next,' Alan said smiling. Tom nodded smiling.

Bertie sighed with relief, he suspected what it all was about, and he was glad that it passed by him.

'It seems you would marry next, Lieutenant Paris,' Kathryn said smiling.

Tom nodded.

'I'll keep your garter reverently, Your Majesty,' he said smiling.

Then Alan started to play again, and people started dancing again, long into the night.

Late that night Chakotay took Kathryn into his hands, and carried her over the threshold of the royal chamber, both smiling at that. He carried her through dining room to the bedroom and to the large bed with dark carved posts and frame, with red and yellow striped canopy and golden cover. He deposited her on the bed, removed her hennin hat, then unhooked and removed her dress, leaving her in a white shirt with lace, green lower skirt and blue violet stockings. Then he quickly removed his headband, his doublet, his hose and his green shirt and towered over Kathryn. She blushed deeply. Chakotay smiled broadly, untied her other garter and removed her stockings, then removed her lower skirt and shirt. She was glorious when nude, full breasts, slender waist, broad hips with golden bush between them. She blushed even deeper under him. She looked at him, he had dark skin, broad shoulders, slender waist and slender hips, and the tattoo over his left eye added to his beauty.

'Now you're all mine, at my power, not a queen but my wife, and I can do everything I wish with you,' Chakotay said lowly and ominously.

'Oh, I'm afraid,' Kathryn moaned.

As they lay together, spent, Chakotay smiled.

'Now we're really husband and wife,' he said smiling.

'Yes, and how I am glad that you wanted to marry soon,' Kathryn said smiling. 'You proposed to me when I didn't even think of that, and you made us marry soon. You're so resolute.'

'You are the best woman in the world, that's why,' Chakotay said smiling.

They got under the golden cover.

'Good night, my wife,' Chakotay said.

'Good night, my husband,' Kathryn answered.

Next morning Chakotay was on his morning ride. His heart was beating fast. If he dies here in the wood now, at least it won't be in Kathryn's sight, and at least they had a wonderful wedding and a wonderful wedding night, even if she is fated to became a widow on the next day, and maybe she already bears his child, the heir of Janeway. Chakotay rode aimlessly through the lush dense Broceliande forest.

But time went, and he didn't even feel ill. Chakotay smiled broadly, spurred his horse on and rode home. It seemed Maitre Robert was right! So now Chakotay had a long life before him, with a beautiful and clever wife. He smiled.


End file.
